This invention relates generally to insulated containers for the protection of temperature sensitive goods and more particularly to an insulated container for the display and sale of chilled products at point-of-sale locations in stores, convenience stores, cafeterias, eateries, lunchrooms, hotels, outdoor pavilions, theme parks, county fairs, catered events, sports arenas, stadiums, convention centers, and the like.
Generally, for keeping temperature-sensitive foodstuffs, especially beverages, chilled, either an electrically refrigerated cabinet or an insulated container filled with ice has been used. For example, as a student passes through the lunch line he/she usually passes a large electrically refrigerated cabinet filled with cartons of milk. Also, convenience stores generally have point-of-sale insulated containers filled with iced-down beverages. There are numerous problems associated with either method of cooling individually packaged beverages as discussed in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,810 assigned to the assignee of the present applicant.
For example, traditional electrically refrigerated cabinets are large and cumbersome, and are difficult to access by small persons or children. The units are not easily movable and this prevents convenient rearrangement of the store, eatery or lunch line as needed. These cabinets generally require a substantial capital investment. Additionally, as with other similar appliances, the units require periodic maintenance. If the unit fails or a power outage occurs, the units are ineffective during the interim.
As a solution to the aforementioned shortcomings to an electrically refrigerated unit, insulated beverage coolers have been made that chill the beverages with ice in an attractive display. These coolers are basically large tubs that hold individually packed beverages together with ice, thus keeping the beverages in contact with the ice and cooled. Although these coolers are generally more mobile and convenient, they also are fraught with drawbacks.
Placing food or beverages on ice, although the food or beverage may be individually packaged, allows for the opportunity for contamination to the food or beverage by the melted ice. Sometimes the preferred product is packaged in a carton, like milk, and the carton becomes soggy after prolonged contact in ice and melted water. The melted ice may splash and spill out of the cooler, thus creating a slip-and-fall hazard. The beverages eventually may become completely immersed within the ice and water. This is inconvenient and also presents a health risk due to the spread of germs within the ice and water mixture. The accumulation of water as a cooling medium has the undesirable effect of impairing the degree of sanitation achievable and maintainable. There is a need, therefore, for a chilled beverage container that can maintain the required cooling effect on its contents while being mobile, efficient, sanitary, and inexpensive.
Decision Point Marketing, Inc. of Winston-Salem, N.C., has addressed this need by providing chilled item servers that require no electricity or loose ice. Exemplary of the chilled item servers marketed by Decision Point Marketing are the devices disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,810 and pending U.S. patent applications Ser. No. 09/578,575 filed May 25, 2000, and Ser. No. 09/301,709 filed Apr. 29, 1999, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. These devices generally include portable insulated containers having inner cavities lined with removable cold cells. The cold cells are formed of thermoplastic and have hollow cores filled with 1%-5% saline solution that can be frozen by placing the panels in a conventional freezer. Beverages are placed within the servers and subjected to the cool atmosphere created within the servers by the cold cells and are thereafter maintained at an effective temperature for consumption.
While the chilled item servers supplied by Decision Point Marketing have proven effective to eliminate the problems associated with electric or ice coolers, they may not be optimally sized for some point-of-sale applications. Because the overall size and capacity of each of these devices has been intentionally designed to address specific uses in the marketplace, they cannot be optimally adapted on a commercial scale to meet widely varying demands for units of different sizes or capacities. In particular, the cost of providing multiple molds of various shapes and sizes to produce an assortment of incrementally sized thermoplastic enclosures for these servers would be burdensome. Therefore, a need exists for an improved point-of-sale product chiller that can be economically produced in various sizes and capacities to address a broad range of market demands for such devices.
The present invention addresses this need in the art by providing a point-of-sale product chiller that includes a base panel having a top face and a bottom face, a pair of insulated sidewall panels each having an inside face and an outside face, and a plurality of modular, interchangeable, insulated, end wall panels each having an inner face and an outer face. A plurality of removable cold cell inserts having vertical edges are positioned along the inside faces of the sidewall panels and the inner faces of the end wall panels. The sidewall panels and end wall panels define a rectangular, upwardly-extending cavity for containing chilled product to be dispensed.
One or more bottom insulation panels may sit atop the top face of the base panel. A moisture tray with an upwardly extending lip may cover each bottom insulation panel so the lip fittingly engages the inside face of each adjacent sidewall panel and the inner face of each adjacent end wall panel. Preferably, the insulated sidewall panels and end wall panels each include a hollow outer shell with an insulating foam panel insert therein. These hollow panels are preferably formed of blow-molded thermoplastic. The removable cold cell inserts are sized and shaped to abut each other at their vertical edges, and the abutting vertical edges are configured to matingly engage each other to provide lateral support between adjacent cold cells in the chiller.
The chiller may be divided into multiple, rectangular, upwardly-extending cavities by including one or more insulated vertical central divider panels, each having a first and second face and extending laterally between the inner faces of opposite end wall panels. Preferably, each central divider panel includes a hollow outer shell with an insulating foam panel insert therein. The hollow outer shell of each central divider panel may be formed of blow-molded thermoplastic. A removable central cold panel is inserted adjacent each first face and second face of each central divider panel to surround each rectangular cavity with cold cells. In a preferred arrangement, the removable cold panel inserts adjacent each first and second face have vertical edges which abut the vertical edges of the adjacent cold cell inserts along the inner faces of the nearest end wall panels. The vertical edges of the adjacent cold cells are configured to matingly engage each other to provide lateral support between the adjacent cold cells.
Alternatively, the chiller may include one or more vertical central cold cell inserts in lieu of central divider panels for dividing the enclosure into multiple cavities. These vertical central cold cell inserts extend laterally between opposite inner faces of the end wall panels and have side edges that abut the vertical edges of adjacent cold cells along the inner faces of the end wall panels. The side edges and vertical edges of the cold cells are configured to matingly engage each other to provide lateral support between the adjacent cold cell inserts.
Because it may be desirable to promote or advertise products on the outside of the chiller or simply to decorate the chiller, a graphics area may be included on the outer face of each end wall panel for receiving replaceable indicia. A removable transparent side panel overlays the removable indicia and graphics area. Similarly, a signage area with replaceable indicia and a removable transparent end panel overlaying the indicia may be provided on the outside face of each sidewall panel.
A plurality of casters may be mounted on the bottom face of the base for convenient movement of the chiller. Also, a thermometer with a temperature-sensing probe in an interior region of the chiller and temperature readout on an outer surface of the chiller may be provided for conveniently monitoring the internal temperatures of the chiller. A movable lid may be included to cover each upwardly extending cavity. Preferably, the movable lid includes a plurality of transparent panels in overlapping, sliding arrangement over the upwardly extending cavity. Alternatively, the lid may be hinged along one edge of the cavity. For added rigidity and strength, reinforcement rods may be mounted at the top of the end panels and center panels to hold the panels together.
The invention also provides a method of dispensing chilled products. First, an enclosure is provided formed of modular insulated panels and having inner wall surfaces and an upwardly extending product-dispensing opening. Second, the inner wall surfaces of the enclosure are lined with removable chilled panels having vertical edges configured to matingly engage one another to provide lateral support therebetween and together forming a chilled product cavity within the enclosure. Third, chilled food items are placed in the chilled product cavity. Finally, chilled food items are dispensed through the product-dispensing opening.
This method may further include providing a movable lid on the enclosure over the product-dispensing opening, and opening the movable lid to dispense the chilled food items. The method may also include providing replaceable signage on outer surfaces of the enclosure to advertise or promote product in the enclosure to customers. Furthermore, the method may include moving the enclosure on casters to the point-of-sale. Also, the method may include installing one or more vertical central cold cells having vertical edges configured to matingly engage vertical edges of the cold cells lining the inner walls of the cavity so the central cold cells are laterally supported at their vertical edges and divide the chilled product cavity into multiple chilled sections for receiving and dispensing chilled food items.
The invention also provides a process for producing modular point-of-sale product chillers of variable size. The process includes producing insulated sidewall panels and end wall panels in various widths and producing incrementally-sized base panels sized in lengths and widths corresponding to the various sizes of end panels and side panels. Removable cold cells are produced in widths corresponding to the various widths of end panels and side panels. Two end panels and two side panels are selected and assembled on each base panel of corresponding width and length. Cold cells of corresponding widths are selected and assembled along inner surfaces of the end panels and side panels. The process may include producing insulated sidewall panels and end wall panels by blow-molding hollow plastic outer shells and inserting insulating foam panels therein.
Preferably, the process for producing modular point-of-sale product chillers of variable size includes providing molds for blow-molding sidewall panels, end wall panels, and base panels that include removable mold sections for adapting the molds to produce panels of various widths. Once base panels, sidewall panels, and end wall panels of desired sizes are produced in the molds, compatible panels are selected and assembled together to form chiller enclosures of desired sizes. Removable cold cells are provided in widths corresponding to the desired widths of the sidewall panels and end wall panels and assembled along the inner surfaces of the enclosure. The process may further include providing a mold including one or more removable mold sections for blow-molding central divider panels of various widths and producing central divider panels of desired widths in the mold. The divider panels are assembled in the enclosures to form multiple product cavities in the enclosures. Removable cold cells are provided in corresponding widths and assembled along the inner surfaces of the end wall and sidewall panels and along each face of each divider panel in the product cavities.
The process may also include a single mold for blow molding both the end wall panels and the divider panels in various desired widths. The single mold yields common panels including an end wall edge on one end and a divider edge on an opposite end. The divider edges are cut from the common panels to produce end wall panels. Similarly, the end wall edges are cut from the common panels to produce divider panels.
The invention also provides a point of sale product chiller including an outer insulating shell having a bottom and end walls defining a cavity, and a plurality of flat, removable cold cell inserts sized to fit along inside walls of the cavity and having edge shapes to cooperate with edge shapes of others of the removable cold cell inserts together with the end walls to hold the cold cell inserts upright in the cavity. In a preferred arrangement, one edge shape is convex and a cooperating edge shape is a concavity in which the convex edge can fit.